ARRL Volunteer Monitors recognized 13 operators in 10 states with Good Operator letters during the second quarter of 2020. Among the operators recognized were CW and SSB operators on 20 and 40 meters, outstanding net operators on 2 meters (including a net control of the Central Indiana SKYWARN Net), and an operator on 40 meters who demonstrated exemplary courtesy and assistance to amateurs with technical issues.

Despite mid-summer conditions, at least seven US listeners, most of them radio amateurs, were able to copy the 17.2-kHz signal from the SAQ Alexanderson Alternator at the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden. The July 5 transmission from the vintage electro-mechanical transmitter commemorated the annual Alexanderson Day. All told, more than 600 reception reports were received — a new record.

“The odds were not optimal this year, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and in the early Sunday morning, the rain was pouring down, and heavy wind gusts made it hard to even take a peek at the antennas outdoors,” the report from SAQ said. “The transmitter hall was empty except for five members of the Alexander Association.”

Dating from the 1920s, the Alexanderson alternator — essentially an ac alternator run at extremely high speed — can put out 200 kW but typically is operated at less than one-half that power level. Once providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the air on special occasions.

The transmitter was developed by Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst Alexanderson, who was employed at General Electric in Schenectady, New York, and was chief engineer at the Radio Corporation of America.

Two Alexanderson Day transmissions were made. “On the first transmission, the rainy weather was making it hard at first to reach good output to the antenna, but after a few minutes with the ‘VVV VVV VVV de SAQ’ loop, the system started to dry, and the amps [antenna current] increased. Skies cleared for the second transmission later in the day, and, according to the report, the antenna current rose to 60 A, which ‘is optimal,’” the report said.

The occasion marked the inaugural transmission by Kai Sundberg, SA6KSU, at the helm of SAQ in a radio uniform dating back to the 1960s.

An article about Alexanderson Day, “The Legacy of Radio at Grimeton Station, SAQ,” appears on page 66 of the July 2019 issue of QST. 

Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, was one of two NASA astronauts who made spaceflight history over the weekend. Behnken and Doug Hurley were the first astronauts since the 1970s to make a water landing, after their Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday. On May 30, the pair made history as the first live crew to be launched into space in a commercial vehicle, for a stay on the International Space Station (ISS), marking the return of human spaceflight to US soil for the first time in nearly a decade.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle carried the crew into orbit from Cape Canaveral. The so-called “Demo-2” was the last major test for SpaceX’s human spaceflight system, to be certified by NASA for operational crew missions to and from the ISS. Four huge parachutes carried the Crew Dragon capsule to a safe splashdown near Pensacola, Florida, on Sunday, August 1.

“On behalf of the SpaceX and NASA teams, welcome back to planet Earth,” SpaceX Engineer Michael Heiman radioed to the crew after their landing. “And thanks for flying SpaceX.”

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine proclaimed that the US was entering a new era of human spaceflight, noting that NASA was no longer the only option for US space travel. “We are going to be a customer,” he said. NASA has contracted with two companies — SpaceX and Boeing — to ferry astronaut crews to and from the ISS.

While part of the space station crew for 2 months, Behnken and Astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, the sole American on board when their Endeavour capsule docked, carried out four spacewalks to install new batteries on the ISS.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle was designed for short-term missions, and Behnken and Hurley’s mission had only been expected to last a week. As a result, Behnken did not receive Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training on the radio gear in the Russian sector. NASA subsequently decided to monitor the mission and make a decision on how long the Crew Dragon would stay. Cassidy fielded all ARISS school contacts. 

Initially scheduled for July, the Northeast HamXposition, host of the 2020 ARRL New England Division Convention, was moved back to November because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the in-person event is off until next summer, although some activities will take place online this year. Renamed before the 2019 show, the Northeast HamXposition has succeeded the long-running annual Boxboro hamfest in Boxborough, Massachusetts. As announced early this year, the next HamXposition will take place in a new location — Marlborough, Massachusetts.

“Large indoor gatherings such as our convention are currently prohibited by Massachusetts state law,” Northeast HamXposition Chair Bob DeMattia, K1IW, said over the weekend. “This is highly unlikely to change by November. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hold a physical convention this year.”

Still on will be the W1A special event station, which will be on the air over the weekend of October 1 – November 1. “W1A will be operated from the operators’ home stations, DeMattia explained. “We will also be hosting a Saturday evening virtual banquet on November 7, featuring a guest speaker. Order your favorite take-out or delivery, pull up a chair to your screen, and join your friends for an interesting presentation. After the talk, virtual break-out rooms will be available for you to converse with your ‘table.’”

The Nashua Area Radio Society will be running an online version of its “Ham Boot Camp.” This is a multi-session program for hams young and old to learn about the various amateur radio activities.

Eastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) will conduct online versions of their training sessions.

“We look forward to seeing everyone in person at our 2021 convention on July 23, 24, and 25, 2021, DeMattia said.

Russian cosmonauts on board the International Space Station plan to transmit slow-scan television (SSTV) images on August 4 – 5. The SSTV images will commemorate the joint Soviet-US Apollo-Soyuz mission, the first international space mission, which took place in mid-July of 1975. The activity will use the RS0ISS call sign, and transmissions will take place on 145.800 MHz, likely using SSTV PD-120 mode. European Space Agency (ESA) Education anticipated the commemorate transmissions in a July tweet.

“We are expecting the ISS to transmit pictures in the next weeks for the 45th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz test project. This is a perfect opportunity to try this activity for yourself,” ESA Education said.

A subsequent announcement appeared on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) blog on July 27.

“The final crew schedule for the week of August 3 – 9 was released recently, and it showed a MAI-75 activity scheduled for August 4 and 5,” the ARISS blog post said. The SSTV activity comes just days after the SpaceX Demo 2 undocking from the ISS. SpaceX Demo 2 marked the first time space station crew members have been launched from US soil since the end of NASA’s space shuttle program.

The schedule calls for setup and day 1 SSTV operation to begin on August 4 at 1225 UTC and continue until 1810 UTC. Day 2 SSTV operation on August 5 will begin at 1115 UTC and continue until 1845 UTC.

While typical MAI-75 SSTV passes are scheduled to occur above Moscow and Russia, and will be visible in the UK and parts of Europe, individuals elsewhere in the world may be able to capture images using their own software via one of the many remotely accessible software-defined radios (SDRs) that cover 2 meters.

ESA has released a video aimed at non-amateurs, “How to get pictures from the International Space Station via Amateur Radio,” along with a collection of tutorial videos explaining how to receive ISS slow-scan television (SSTV) pictures for different computers and mobile devices. See also the article, “Pictures from space via ham radio.” AMSAT-UK offers an ISS SSTV tutorial for beginners. — Thanks to AMSAT News Service, ESA

With the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expecting Tropical Storm Isaias to become a hurricane again later today and make landfall this evening, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) reactivated at 1600 UTC on 14.325 MHz. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said the net will shift operations at 2300 UTC to 7.268 MHz, where it will remain until no longer needed by the NHC. A hurricane warning is in effect from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Surf City, North Carolina.

“The center of Isaias will then approach the coast of northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina within the hurricane warning area later today,” the NHC said. The center will then move inland over eastern North Carolina tonight, and move along the coast of the mid-Atlantic states on Tuesday and into the northeastern United States by Tuesday night.”

The HWN initially activated on July 31 at 1500 UTC, when Isaias was about 245 miles southeast of Nassau. “During the next 41 hours, we relayed the latest advisories to those in the Bahamas, south Florida, as well as mariners and shortwave listeners, Graves said. “Because Isaias was forecast to regain strength to a Category 1 hurricane, and hurricane watches and warnings remained in effect for the Florida coast as well as areas in the Bahamas, the Net remained activated.” After the NHC dropped all hurricane watches and warnings on Sunday morning, and the storm was no longer believed to become a hurricane, the HWN secured operations on Sunday, August 1.

“During the course of 41 hours, we never received any reports from the Bahamas,” Graves said. “We did hear from many south Florida stations, but the storm was not yet close enough at the time for [that area] to be adversely affected.

As of 1500 UTC, Isaias is forecast to make landfall tonight as a Category 1 hurricane and is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall from the eastern Carolinas to the mid-Atlantic coast tonight and Tuesday. The storm was some 90 miles east-southeast of Brunswick, Georgia, and some 220 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Maximum sustained winds are 70 MPH, just a shade below Category 1 hurricane strength.

“We are slowly moving into the heart of the 2020 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season, so, please do not drop your guard,” Graves advised. “If you haven’t done so already, now would be a good time to review your Family Emergency Plan and review your Emergency Supply Checklist. We have links to download both on our website.”

South Carolina Amateur Radio Volunteers Ready

Although Isaias hasn’t turned into a monster hurricane, radio amateurs from all over South Carolina have been preparing for days as the South Carolina Emergency Operations Center geared up for the storm. Isaias was predicted to make landfall on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina.

“We have been in direct communication with our emergency support function (EFS-2) partners along with many other organizations to ensure our level of readiness is sufficient. Radio checks have been performed at SCEMD (South Carolina Emergency Management Division) and more conference calls among ARES leadership are planned,” said ARRL South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator Billy Irwin, K9OH. Irwin said information about frequencies in use may be found in the Tactical Guide on the South Carolina ARES website.

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated on 14.325 MHz on July 31 at 1500 UTC as Hurricane Isaias [pronounced: ees-ah-EE-ahs] heads toward the US on an uncertain trajectory.  The Volusia County, Florida, and State emergency operations centers were reported at a Level 3 (Monitoring) status.

“For years I’ve said, ‘Just when you think you have Mother Nature figured out, she changes her mind,’” HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said. “Shortly after Advisory 11 for then-Tropical Storm Isaias was issued [at 0300 UTC], an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft found that the tropical storm had strengthened to a hurricane. The maximum winds had increased to 80 MPH with higher gusts making the storm a Category 1 hurricane.”

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast for 0900 UTC called for Isaias to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane during the next 24 hours.

“Unfortunately, Isaias appears to be taking a somewhat similar track along the US east coastline, such as Matthew in 2016 and Dorian in 2019,” Graves said. “Interests throughout the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and farther north need to keep a close watch on Isaias. This means the Hurricane Watch Net could be running another marathon activation.”

An NHC Advisory issued at 1500 UTC included a Hurricane Watch for portions of the Florida east coast from north of Deerfield Beach northward to the Volusia-Brevard County Line. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for portions of the Florida east coast from north of Ocean Reef northward to Sebastian Inlet and for Lake Okeechobee.

As of 1500 UTC, the NHC said the center of Hurricane Isaias was located near latitude 21.7 N, longitude 74.5 W, moving toward the northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h), and a general northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the day or so followed by a turn toward the north-northwest.  On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will continue to move near or over the Southeastern Bahamas today. Isaias is forecast to be near the Central Bahamas tonight, and move near or over the Northwestern Bahamas Saturday and near the east coast of the Florida peninsula Saturday afternoon through Sunday. 

“On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will continue to move near or over the Southeastern Bahamas today. Isaias is forecast to be near the central Bahamas tonight, and move near or over the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday and near the east coast of the Florida peninsula Saturday afternoon through Sunday.

“Tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of the Florida east coast beginning Saturday, and a tropical storm watch remains in effect. While storm surge watches are not currently needed for this area, they may be required later today, if the forecast track shifts closer to the coast. Heavy rains associated with Isaias may begin to affect south and east-central Florida beginning late Friday night, and the eastern Carolinas by early next week, potentially resulting in isolated flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas. Isolated minor river flooding is possible in the Carolinas early next week,” the NHC said. “Hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surges are expected in portions of the Bahamas today and Saturday, and hurricane warnings are in effect for these areas. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”

The HWN seeks “observed ground-truth data from those in the affected area,” including wind velocity and gusting, wind direction, barometric pressure, and, if available, rainfall, damage, and storm surge. “Measured weather dat

A live presentation from ARRL North Texas Section Traffic Manager Aaron Hulett, K8AMH, inaugurated the new ARRL Learning Network on Tuesday, July 28. The webinar series features 30-minute presentations from experienced members covering a variety of amateur radio topics and interests. Hulett’s webinar, 'Relay Stations and the Art of Traffic Handling, 'introduced techniques and skills practiced by radio amateurs like himself who relay messages during emergencies, disasters, and other incidents that interrupt conventional telecommunications, including the internet. Through an overview of the ARRL National Traffic System, Hulett shared examples of preparing a radiogram and resources for finding traffic nets and other volunteers.

'Aaron hit a home a run,' said Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, ARRL Product Development Manager and moderator for Hulett's webinar. 'His presentation was the perfect balance of knowledge-sharing and enthusiasm that will surely motivate other members to try their hand at traffic handling.' A recording of the webinar is available for members to view

The webinars are hosted using GoToWebinar. Members are invited to ask questions during each webinar, and a 15-minute Q&A period follows each presentation for those who can participate longer. A running list of upcoming live presentations is available; and prospective attendees may register on the same page. ARRL members must first log into the ARRL website.

Fun with Digital Signal Modes FT4 and FT8

Anthony Luscre, K8ZT

Thursday, July 30, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC) 

HF Wire Antennas

George Cooley, NG7A, ARRL Life Member

Thursday, August 6, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC) 

Introduction to Digital FM Modes

Korey Chandler, Sr., WA5RR

Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 5 PM PDT / 8 PM EDT (0000 UTC on Wednesday, August 12) 

Introduction to Computer Logging

Steven Lott Smith, KG5VK

Thursday, August 13, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC) 

Capture the Magic of 6 Meters

Jim Wilson, K5ND

Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT (1700 UTC) 

The Sport of Finding Hidden Transmitters on Foot

Robert Frey, WA6EZV, ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Committee

Thursday, August 20, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC) 

Inderbitzen encourages other members to be considered for future ARRL Learning Network webinars by inviting them to complete a Call for Speakers form. “It’s all about members helping members. What better way to grow greater participation in amateur radio!”

The FCC has issued a Forfeiture Order  calling for HobbyKing to pay a fine of $2,861,128 for marketing drone transmitters that do not comply with FCC rules. An FCC Enforcement Bureau investigation stemmed in part from a 2017 ARRL complaint that HobbyKing was selling drone transmitters that operated on amateur and non-amateur frequencies, in some instances marketing them as amateur radio equipment. The fine affirms the monetary penalty sought in a June 2018 FCC Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL). The FCC said its investigation found that dozens of devices marketed by the company transmitted in unauthorized radio frequency bands and, in some cases, operated at excessive power levels. “Such unlawful transmissions could interfere with key government and public safety services, like aviation systems,” the FCC said.“We have fully considered HobbyKing’s response to the NAL, which does not contest any facts and includes only a variety of legal arguments, none of which we find persuasive,” the FCC said in the FO. “We therefore adopt the $2,861,128 forfeiture penalty proposed in the NAL.”

The FCC pointed out in the FO that it has previously made clear that “[d]evices used in the Amateur Radio Service do not require authorization prior to being imported into the United States, but devices for other services, including the CB service, require Commission approval.” The FCC investigation found that 65 models of devices marketed by HobbyKing should have had FCC certification.

Responding to the NAL, HobbyKing claimed to have ceased marketing the 65 models the FCC identified, but promised only to make “best efforts” not to market other noncompliant RF devices. “HobbyKing has a continuing obligation to market only radio frequency equipment that is properly authorized,” the FCC said. “We therefore remind HobbyKing that continuing to market noncompliant radio frequency devices could result in further significant forfeitures.”

HobbyKing has 30 days to pay the fine. If it fails to do so, the matter will be referred to the Department of Justice for collection. 

The University of Maine Wireless Sensing Laboratory (WiSe-Net Lab) and AMSAT have signed an agreement to collaborate on building and operating MESAT1, Maine’s first small satellite. Carrying an amateur radio payload in addition to science payloads, MESAT1 is set to launch sometime in the next 3 years under NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), which provides opportunities for nanosatellite science and technology payloads built by universities, schools, and nonprofits to ride-share on space launches. AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, celebrated the announcement.

“This is a great day for AMSAT and UMaine’s WiSe-Net Lab,” Coleman said. “This partnership is a true win-win for both education and the amateur radio community. The collaborative effort under AMSAT’s engineering and operations teams has once again succeeded to bring another opportunity to AMSAT.”

MESAT1 will be one of 18 small research satellites selected by NASA to carry auxiliary payloads into space between 2021 and 2023. The CubeSat is being developed in partnership with the University of Maine (UMaine) and the University of Southern Maine (USM), along with a trio of K – 12 schools. UMaine graduate students and USM undergraduates will collaborate on CubeSat design, development, integration, and testing.

UMaine’s WiSe-Net Lab, established in 2005, is involved in aerospace and space research. The lab was founded by Ali Abedi, KB1VJV, assistant vice president for research and director of the Center for Undergraduate Research at the university’s main campus in Orono. Lab researchers have developed the first wireless sensor network for NASA’s lunar habitation project and launched wireless leak detection to the International Space Station.

The MESAT1 initiative will enable K – 12 students and teachers in Maine to access space data for educational and research purposes and encourage students to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. MESAT1 was awarded $300,000 from NASA. The project also received $150,000 in NASA Maine Space Grant Consortium funding for graduate student research. Folding in additional funding from UMaine and USM to support undergraduate student research brings the total funding to $522,000 over 3 years.

AMSAT will provide a linear transponder module (LTM) along with integration and operational support for MESAT1. AMSAT’s LTM incorporates a VHF/UHF telemetry beacon, command receiver, and linear transponder. It will be available for worldwide amateur radio use once the satellite is commissioned. — Thanks to AMSAT and the University of Maine

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has activated for Hurricane Hanna, the first hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. The storm is poised to make landfall along the Gulf of Mexico. A Category 1 storm, Hanna has maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH. As of 1200 UTC, the storm was about 90 miles east-northeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, and about 100 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

“The year 2020 has been a strange year in every way, and the weather is no different,” HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said. “Just a few hours ago, it looked as though we would be activating for Hurricane Gonzalo. Well, that storm had other ideas. The same can be said for what had been Tropical Storm Hanna in the Gulf of Mexico. All along, it looked as though this storm would make landfall as a Tropical Storm.”

Graves said the net activated today at 1130 UTC on 14.325 MHz — its primary net frequency. “If conditions require, and they most likely will, we will operate simultaneously on 14.325.00 MHz and 7.268.00 MHz,” Graves said. The HWN will remain active until 2200 UTC, “or until no longer required by the National Hurricane Center.”

Via its amateur radio volunteer members, the HWN gathers observed ground-truth weather data from those in the affected area. “We are also available to provide back-up communication to official agencies such as emergency operations centers, Red Cross officials, and storm shelters in the affected area,” Graves added. “We will also be interested to collect and report significant damage assessment and storm surge data back to the forecasters as well as FEMA officials stationed in the National Hurricane Center.”

WX4NHC at the NHC also has activated for Hanna, and will participate in the HWN on 14.325 MHz, as well as on the VoIP Weather Net, WX-TALK Conference node 7203 / IRLP node 9219). Contact WX4NHC via Winlink (subject must contain “//WL2K”) or complete a WX4NHC online Hurricane Report Form.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, WX4NHC operators are operating from their homes. 

Christopher “Chris” Brault, KD8YVJ, of Liberty Township, Ohio, has been selected as the 2020 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY). The son of Jocelyn, KD8VRX, and Kimberly Brault, Chris, 18, was the recipient of the 2015 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award. A ham since 2014, he credits his father for being his guide into amateur radio, recalling watching and listening to his dad operating mobile.

“We would be on a road trip somewhere,” Chris said. “We’d be talking to people along the way, it seemed like fun.” Chris is a member of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, the West Chester Amateur Radio Association, and the Ohio Valley Experimenters Club.

A senior and honor student at Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Chris helped restart the school’s amateur radio club, W8GYH. He has also been recognized as the 2017 ARRL Great Lakes Division Young Amateur of the Year, and he took part in the 2017 Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure to Costa Rica with other up-and-coming young radio amateurs. In 2017, he was a Youth Forum presenter at Dayton Hamvention® and HamCation in Orlando.

Chris serves as social media director for the Youth on the Airorganization and is a contesting mentor for young hams involved in its programs. He is a tour guide for the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester, Ohio, and assists in mentoring young operators at its ham station, WC8VOA. He participates with his dad in Scouting’s Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) each October.

The YHOTY award is traditionally presented during the Huntsville Hamfest in August, but the event was canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Young Ham of the Year Award was established in 1986 by Newsline editor Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, who died in 2015. — Thanks to CQ Communications 

ARRL is launching a new webinar series to help introduce more members to the variety of activities and opportunities that radio amateurs enjoy. The ARRL Learning Network will offer live presentations by member-volunteers, for members. Like hamfest forums and radio club presentations, the webinars are intended to help participants get more active, involved, and engaged in amateur radio.

Presentations are 30 minutes each, making them easy to fit into a lunch break or as a short evening activity. A 15-minute question-and-answer period follows each presentation for those who can participate longer. The webinars will be hosted initially using GotoWebinar. Webinars will be recorded, and some presentations will be available for future viewing by members and ARRL-affiliated radio clubs as part of an ARRL Learning Network library.

A running list of upcoming live presentations is available. The web page is the place to register to attend each webinar and requires members to log onto the ARRL website.

Relay Stations and the Art of Traffic Handling

Aaron Hulett, K8AMH, Section Traffic Manager for ARRL North Texas Section

Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT (1700 UTC)

Fun with Digital Signal Modes FT4 and FT8

Anthony Luscre, K8ZT

Thursday, July 30, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC)

Introduction to Digital FM Modes

Korey Chandler, Sr., WA5RR

Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 5 PM PDT / 8 PM EDT (0000 UTC on Wednesday, August 12)

Capture the Magic of 6 Meters

Jim Wilson, K5ND

Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT (1700 UTC)

The Sport of Finding Hidden Transmitters on Foot

Robert Frey, WA6EZV, ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Committ

Thursday, August 20, 2020, 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC)

The webinars continue a string of new ARRL benefits introduced in 2020 that has included On the Air magazine, expanded member access to all ARRL digital magazines, and the new On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts.

“The ARRL Learning Network puts experienced member-volunteers at the forefront as a regular source of knowledge-sharing in amateur radio,” ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, said. “We hope members participating in the ARRL Learning Network — including presenters — will find it particularly rewarding to share experiences and learning that will motivate more of our community toward lifelong journeys as radio amateurs.”

Members who would like to be considered for future ARRL Learning Network webinars should have experience in delivering presentations, including familiarity with online webinar technology, live video, and screen sharing. Prospective presenters may complete a Call for Speakers form.

Peru’s Radio Club Peruano (RCP) reports that Guillermo Guerra, OA4DTU/XQ3SA, and the Peruvian Relief Net assisted an air ambulance en route to Easter Island on July 9 after its satellite communication equipment failed. The aircraft was about 1,000 nautical miles from the continent, so the pilot tuned to the Peruvian Relief Net on 7100 kHz.

Net control station OA4DTU and Giancarlo Passalacqua, OA4DSN, were still on frequency, and communication was established with the aircraft. The pilot detailed its tenuous connection and requested support to communicate via telephone with Ocean Air Control, a service of the Directorate General of Aeronautics of Chile, which watches over 32 million square kilometers of air space off the Chilean coast in the Pacific.

Authorities were already on alert for the aircraft because of the communication loss, plus the HF at the Easter Island tower was inoperative. About 10 phone calls were made to point out the aircraft’s position and route schedule, as well as any additional information needed. Other hams in Peru were listening in and standing by.

Guerra remained in contact with the aircraft until he was sure that it would reach its destination. At approximately 2330 UTC, the pilot reported making VHF contact with the Easter Island control tower for landing instructions. — Thanks to Radio Club Peruano

Nature Communications Article Features LO-94, First Lunar-Orbiting Ham Radio Spacecraft A July 9 Nature Communications article, “Design and flight results of the VHF/UHF communication system of Longjiang lunar microsatellites,” describes the Longjiang-2/Lunar-OSCAR 94 (LO-94) spacecraft, which carried the first amateur radio communication system into lunar orbit.

As a part of China’s Chang’e-4 lunar far side mission, two lunar microsatellites for low-frequency radio astronomy, amateur radio, and education — Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2, were launched as secondary payloads on May 20, 2018, along with the Queqiao L2 relay satellite. Five days later, Longjiang-2 successfully inserted itself into an elliptical lunar orbit of 357 × 13,704 kilometers (221 × 8,496 miles) to become the smallest spacecraft to enter lunar orbit with its own propulsion system. The satellite carried a VHF/UHF SDR, designed for operation with small ground stations.

The article describes and evaluates the design of the VHF/UHF radio and the modes used. Flight results of the VHF/UHF radio are also presented, including operation of the radio, performance analysis of downlink signals, and the first lunar orbit UHF very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiment.